An environmental limit on methane emissions is one of the 17 recommendations in the interim report of the Food Vision dairy group, the Irish Farmers Journal can reveal.

Other significant measures include a proposed 35% reduction in artificial nitrogen in the sector and the creation of a voluntary retirement scheme.

The first draft of the report was circulated to stakeholders on Thursday for discussion at the next meeting of industry grouping on Monday 11 April.

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This recommendation, known as a cap and trade model, if accepted by the wider group, would see a methane or production right per farm and allow trading of this right between all farmers with livestock.

“While cow number and milk volume constraints have been rejected as options by group stakeholders, the cap and trade model was acknowledged as a least-worst option, should restrictions be needed, and that it merited further consideration,” according to the report.

Timeframes

The 17 measures are split into three timeframes, all set around the carbon budget periods.

Short-term actions are recommended to be carried out between 2022 and 2025.

Actions here include:

  • Explore the possibility of monitoring carbon production at individual farm level with a view to future carbon farming options.
  • Reduce chemical N use in the dairy sector by 35% in the short term (by 2025).
  • Achieve an 80% replacement rate of CAN with protected urea by the end of 2025 for grass-based dairy production systems.
  • Slurry amendments (acidification) – this is to include 100% adoption of slurry additives by the end of 2025.
  • Establish a common policy on milk intake from new entrants.
  • Increase investment in climate change research and knowledge transfer and establish a climate change research liaison group with the EPA.
  • Develop a climate action communications strategy.
  • Increased adoption of low-emission slurry spreading (LESS) - ensure 100% adoption of LESS by the end of 2025 for dairy farmers.
  • Nitrogen use efficiency – liming and soil pH.
  • Clover adoption and multi-species swards - ensure 100% adoption rate by the end of 2025 for dairy farmers.
  • Milk recording - ensure 100% adoption rate by end of 2025.
  • Co-op sustainability programmes.

    • Other recommendations

    Medium-term actions are recommended for 2026 to 2030. A voluntary retirement or exit scheme is included in this set of actions, along with developing methane-mitigating feed technologies.

    There are two long-term actions in the draft document.

    These are the development of breeding strategies and the development of “energy diversification opportunities”.